Seawolf Rivalry Opens Va. Rift

Lawmakers Split On Plug

October 17, 1990|By DONALD LOEPP Staff Writer

A push by New England congressmen to corner the market on submarine construction apparently has opened a rift between members of Virginia's congressional delegation over how to win a Seawolf submarine contract for Newport News Shipbuilding.

Congressional leaders from New England want language in the Senate version of the 1991 defense budget bill that would require the Navy to seek competitive bids from both the Groton, Conn., Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics and the Newport News shipyard for a contract for the second Seawolf.

But the language also directs the Navy to reassess its strategy of having two shipyards build the submarines - in effect proposing that Electric Boat be given a monopoly on sub construction.

According to Sen. John Warner, R-Va., the New England delegation is responding to language in the House defense budget bill that pushed the second Seawolf - Electric Boat has won a contract for the first - toward Newport News Shipbuilding. That language came from Rep. Herbert H. Bateman, R-1st.

"The House language resulted in equally strong language against it in the Senate," Warner said.

Warner was clearly angered that the report of the House Armed Services Committee, including language recommending the Navy award the 1991 Seawolf contract to Newport News on a sole-source basis, had resulted in a corresponding salvo from the Senate.

Warner stopped short of saying that Bateman's language in the House bill was a mistake.

"I'm not going to characterize that," Warner said.

Bateman said he had "no apologies for having a role" in inserting the language supporting Newport News Shipbuilding, and he pointed out that the New England delegation in the House supported the report, which included funding for a Trident submarine. Only the Groton yard builds submarines of that class.

"I certainly would not have any regrets about protecting the interests of the country and Newport News as the bill found its way through the House, and I'm sorry that it ran into problems in the Senate," Bateman said.

The debate indicates a breakdown in the deal struck in August between the Virginia and New England delegations in the House Armed Services Committee, in which Newport News was to receive a contract for the second Seawolf and Electric Boat would get a contract for the 18th, and last, Trident ballistic missile submarine.

"Last night this issue erupted into a very heated debate on the floor of the Senate," Warner said. "For the past hour I've been debating this again behind closed doors in the Senate Armed Services Committee."

Warner said he felt certain that the Seawolf would be funded, but he would not give details on the nature of Tuesday's committee debate.

Inouye, Sen. John H. Chafee, R-R.I., Sen. Christopher J. Dodd, D-Conn., and Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman, D-Conn., defended the language, which says the Navy should seek competitive bids for the 1991 Seawolf and reconsider its plan to establish a second source for the submarine.

The first Seawolf submarine is under construction at Electric Boat. It is scheduled for delivery in May 1995.

Warner argued that the Navy should go ahead with its plan to negotiate with Newport News as a sole source for the second contract in order to establish competition for future Seawolf subs early in the program. Warner and Bateman have said that if Newport News does not get a contract for the second submarine, it will be nearly impossible for the yard to compete for future contracts.

Chaffee countered that "when you are dealing with a very, very small volume, very low numbers, as I foresee the submarine building being in the future ... I think that second source is not always the best way to proceed."

Bateman said the Virginia delegation would prefer to leave the decision on how to award the second Seawolf contract to the Navy, whose leaders have said they support negotiating the contract with Newport News in order to establish a second source.

Warner, a member of a conference committee working to reconcile conflicting recommendations on Seawolf funding from the House and Senate, said it is too early to tell what Newport News' chances are.

Bateman said he hoped that the conferees will eventually agree to leave the Navy with the decision of whether to seek a second source for the Seawolf. If not, he said it may be necessary for the Virginia delegation to "fight a battle" to see that Newport News gets the Seawolf contract.